World Charity Day: In aid of the neighbour in need

The International Day of Charity was instituted to commemorate the anniversary of the passing away of Mother Teresa for work undertaken selflessly in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress. On this International Day of Charity, we affirm the large-hearted band of volunteers who are often local, living in the communities they want to lend a helping hand and form the backbone of the local charities, willing to give their time and skills for less, as these photos attest
Curated By: Madhu Kapparath
Published: Sep 5, 2024
Rajesh Kumar Sharma teaches underprivileged children for free under the Yamuna Bank Metro Station pi

Image by : Sonu Mehta/HT via Getty Images

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Rajesh Kumar Sharma teaches underprivileged children for free under the Yamuna Bank Metro Station pillars on September 3, 2024, in New Delhi, India. Sharma, who once ran a grocery store in the neighbourhood, started the school in 2006. Assisted by his teacher-friends Laxmi Chandra and Shyam Mehto at the makeshift school, Sharma says several individuals and organisations have tried joining him for short phases only to hog the limelight.

Ukrainian army veteran Vladyslav Yeshchenko, who lost his sight in an explosion near Bakhmut, volunt

Image by : Gian Marco Benedetto/Anadolu via Getty Images

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Ukrainian army veteran Vladyslav Yeshchenko, who lost his sight in an explosion near Bakhmut, volunteering as a demining specialist, plays a board game on August 19, 2024, in Kyiv, Ukraine. He founded the charity 'Pobachymo Peremohu' to help visually impaired veterans and others affected by the war and hopes to be able to see again through technological advancements in the future.

To raise money for their chosen charities, teams participate in the Dorset Plane Pull, hosted by Eur

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To raise money for their chosen charities, teams participate in the Dorset Plane Pull, hosted by European Skybus Ltd, on August 26, 2024, in Bournemouth, England. Founded in 2009 in memory of family members who passed away from motor neurone disease, Dorset Plane Pull has raised over £300,000 for 56 charities. Teams of 20 people pull a 35,000 kg Boeing 737 to a distance of 50 metres to raise money for charity.

Children receive vaccination from volunteers at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on August 31, 2

Image by : Hani Alshaer/Anadolu via Getty Images

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Children receive vaccination from volunteers at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, Gaza, on August 31, 2024. United Nations agencies and Palestinian health authorities launched a polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip, targeting over 640,000 children under the age of 10. Gaza recently reported its first polio case in 25 years—a 10-month-old boy, now paralysed in a leg.

A volunteer from L'Aurora - Grup de Suport, a rescue ship support organisation, bids goodbye to the

Image by : Eva Manez / Reuters

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A volunteer from L'Aurora - Grup de Suport, a rescue ship support organisation, bids goodbye to the German rescue ship Sea-Eye 4 on its mission in the central Mediterranean Sea at the port of Burriana, Castellon, Spain on July 1, 2024. The vessel arrived at the port of Burriana to prepare for its humanitarian task of searching for people in distress at sea along the deadliest exodus route in the Mediterranean Sea.

Volunteers wade through floodwaters and transport relief material on a boat for flood-affected peopl

Image by : Zabed Hasnain Chowdhury/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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Volunteers wade through floodwaters and transport relief material on a boat for flood-affected people in Feni district in Chittagong, Bangladesh, on August 24, 2024. Feni is the epicentre of the worst flood in three decades that lashed through Eastern Bangladesh. UNICEF said two million children are at risk, and millions are displaced.

A file photo of Catholic nuns from the Missionaries of Charity, the global order of nuns founded by

Image by : Rupak De Chowdhuri / Reuters

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A file photo of Catholic nuns from the Missionaries of Charity, the global order of nuns founded by Saint Mother Teresa in Kolkata, India. The date of September 5 as The International Day of Charity was chosen by the UN to commemorate the anniversary of the passing away of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 "for work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitute a threat to peace."

Gail Porter, ambassador for charity-owned lender Fair for You, helps deliver a washing machine at Ne

Image by : Dave Benett/Getty Images for Fair for You

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Gail Porter, ambassador for charity-owned lender Fair for You, helps deliver a washing machine at Nelson Square on August 27, 2024, in London, England, in a campaign to help six million Brits in furniture and appliance poverty. New figures show that 9 million Brits have less than £250 in savings, and millions of householders are a home appliance breakdown away from financial disaster.

Ngozi Fulani, CEO and founder of Sistah Space, poses for a portrait holding a Survivor Doll at their

Image by : Hollie Adams / Reuters

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Ngozi Fulani, CEO and founder of Sistah Space, poses for a portrait holding a Survivor Doll at their shop in London, Britain, on August 15, 2024. Sistah Space is a London-based charity that focuses on supporting Black British, African and Caribbean victims of domestic violence.

A file photo of a physiotherapist and a volunteer treating a mottled wood owl recovering from dehydr

Image by : Sam PANTHAKY / AFP

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A file photo of a physiotherapist and a volunteer treating a mottled wood owl recovering from dehydration on a hot summer day at Jivdaya Charitable Trust in Ahmedabad. Changing public attitude towards the city's stray animals and birds, Jivdaya provides medical care to strays and runs a rehabilitation centre for wild birds and small mammals.

A group of 19 women from Afghanistan, who are now banned from education under the Taliban, pose for

Image by : Andrew Milligan/PA Images via Getty Images

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A group of 19 women from Afghanistan, who are now banned from education under the Taliban, pose for a photo with members of The Linda Norgrove Foundation after they arrived at Edinburgh Airport to complete their medical degrees in Scotland on August 19, 2024. The Foundation arranged the travel and study for the women in conjunction with the Scotland Office and the Scottish Government.

People collect clean water provided by a charity organisation to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan,

Image by : AFP

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People collect clean water provided by a charity organisation to people in Gedaref in eastern Sudan, one of the poorest countries in the world, on August 30, 2024. According to the World Food Program, more than half of Sudan's population—26.5 million people—is suffering from acute hunger, including more than 755,000 people on the verge of famine.

Volunteers from the Meiti ethnic group prepare a meal at a relief camp for internally displaced peop

Image by : Ritesh Shukla/Getty Images

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Volunteers from the Meiti ethnic group prepare a meal at a relief camp for internally displaced people on April 27, 2024, in Imphal, Manipur, India. Simmering tensions between the Kukis and Meitis have reached a critical juncture, casting a shadow over the region's delicate social fabric in India's eastern Manipur state.

A fund-raising dinner gathers 4000 attendees and more than $400,000 in donations during the Rai

Image by : Thomas Cooper/Getty Images

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A fund-raising dinner gathers 4000 attendees and more than $400,000 in donations during the Raise the Ruff, a benefit for Pepper's Senior Dog Sanctuary at Mission Ballroom on August 29, 2024, in Denver, US. The sanctuary rescues older dogs from shelters and provides high-quality, comfortable care for them until the end of their lives.

An elder woman waits to receive humanitarian aid after being evacuated from the border settlements t

Image by : Vladimir Aleksandrov/Anadolu via Getty Images

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An elder woman waits to receive humanitarian aid after being evacuated from the border settlements to Kursk city centre, Russia, on August 16, 2024. Every day, more than a thousand civilians arriving from border areas are given clothing and food and housed at temporary shelters like monasteries and boxing clubs in the city.